Ottawa Senators Prospect Update - April 19th

The future of the Ottawa Senators was on full display over the last week, particularly in Belleville. Well, not in Belleville, but you get the idea. Three straight wins against the same opponent is a great feeling, especially for a team that’s struggled to put together a string of wins like this one. You most certainly have already read Spencer’s detailed accounting of the series, now let’s take a look at this which players from around the organization stood out this week!

Forwards:

Angus Crookshank

Once again, the fifth-round pick from the 2018 NHL Entry Draft is proving that he’s much more than just the proprietor of the best name of any hockey prospect. With four assists in three games, he’s now up to 10 points in 8 games in what’s been a blazing start to his first professional season. It’s much-needed help for Egor Sokolov, who was single-handedly carrying Belleville’s offense earlier in the season; here’s a look at the chemistry they’ve built in a short time:

Another Crookshank-Sokolov clip? It couldn't be.

A nifty between the legs pass from Angus gives Egor another great chance to take the AHL's rookie scoring lead. pic.twitter.com/KPTEQM6nuM

— Everyday Sens (@EverydaySens) April 16, 2021

Ridly Greig

Further out west, Ridly Greig has been causing nightmares for everyone who bears witness to his craft; so much so that his last name might as well be Scott. Born in August, the 28th selection in the highly-regarded 2020 NHL Entry Draft was one of the youngest players in the class and yet was still able to achieve a point-per-game pace in the WHL. He had a massive week with the Brandon Wheat Kings, scoring 3 goals and 5 assists in 4 games, along with a whopping seventeen shots on goal!

🍎Ridly Greig with a nice setup for assist #18 in game #17#GoSensGo pic.twitter.com/2J7IehGKeD

— Sens Prospects (@SensProspects) April 18, 2021

With 27 points in 17 games, Greig is tied for fifth in league scoring and his 71 shots on goal are tied for third. Remember the last time the Senators had such a promising player developing in Brandon? Hint: It’s not Macoy Erkamps.

Josh Norris

While Norris is no longer a prospect, he was one at the end of last season, and whenever a young player has a dominant stretch of games in the NHL, he’s bound to feature in a few of these updates. Norris had two goals and three assists in three games this week, as he continues to gain invaluable experience against the best the North Division has to offer, as well as the Calgary Flames:

JOSH NORRIS THE POWERPLAY GOAT #Sens pic.twitter.com/HKsJYKRHal

— Brandon Maki (@BrandonMaki_) April 20, 2021

There’s a chance he could become the team’s best center since Jason Spezza, nothing’s guaranteed but he’s still just twenty-one years old and as such, has plenty of room to develop.

Defensemen:

Jonathan Aspirot

Aspirot had a strong performance against Stockton on Saturday, with a goal and an assist, bringing him to 8 points in 17 games, pretty solid numbers for his second AHL season. It’s pretty encouraging that in a year in which Trent Mann and his staff only had four draft picks to work with, they not only managed to nab Alex Formenton and Drake Batherson but also added a couple of potential depth pieces in Aspirot and Parker Kelly as undrafted free agents.

Lassi Thomson

At long last, Thomson has scored his first AHL goal! He’s known to have an incredibly hard slap shot, but he opted for the more accurate wrist shot to bring his team even.

🚨Lassi Thomson’s first AHL goal!

Thomson has 8 points on the year, appearing in all 21 games with Belleville#GoSensGo pic.twitter.com/Qj7o3Si4rw

— Sens Prospects (@SensProspects) April 15, 2021

Thomson now has 8 points in 23 games with Belleville; we’ll see if finding the back of the net can give him a bit more confidence, and potentially spark a dominant stretch of play.

Goaltending

Filip Gustavsson

This one’s pretty straightforward; Gustavsson started in two of Belleville’s three wins this week, allowing three goals on 61 shots for a save percentage of .951. Right now, it’s looking like the Senators should protect him in the Seattle Expansion Draft; he’s the youngest of the candidates, and currently projects as the team’s goalie of the future.

Silver Linings

• Shane Pinto has quickly adapted to professional hockey, earning his first NHL point off a defensive-zone faceoff win, while effortlessly breaking up opposing plays in the neutral zone all the while./

Shane Pinto has his first NHL point after assisting on Nikita Zaitsev's 200ft empty-netter. 4-0 #Sens pic.twitter.com/RZT30Af4U1

— Brandon Maki (@BrandonMaki_) April 17, 2021

• Jacob Bernard-Docker also took part in his first NHL game on Wednesday against the Winnipeg Jets and didn’t look out of place in the 15:33 he played. Here’s hoping he can find his way into the majority of the team’s remaining games, you’d think Calgary would've been an ideal opponent since Ottawa’s had their number this season.
• Meanwhile, in Allsvenskan playoff action, it appears Viktor Lodin’s gone and made a mess of things in front of the net, thanks to some high-end stickhandling:/

Viktor Lodin Oh My Heavens - THERE ARE BODIES SPLATTERED ALL OVER THE ICE 👀🔥🚨 pic.twitter.com/NddzSPnju3

— Locked On Senators (@SensCentral) April 18, 2021

The Senators’ fourth-round pick from 2019 had three points in three games with Timrå this week; they’re currently tied 1-1 with Björklöven in the final round of the playoffs.

• 2018 sixth-rounder Kevin Mandolese helped Belleville secure the three-game sweep over the Heat, stopping 24 of 26 and bringing his overall save percentage to .892.
• Circling back to Parker Kelly, he contributed on the scoresheet in all three games, for a total of two goals and one assist; he’s now at 10 points in 23 games.
• A pair of draft overagers had strong showings for Belleville as well; 2018 5th-rounder Mark Kastelic and 2020 6th-rounder Cole Reinhardt had two points each. Every team needs guys like these; keep the core intact for the long term, and cycle young players into depth roles, that’s how a budget team remains competitive./

Stats

Pro (NHL, AHL)

NCAA

CHL

Europe

Goalies